Valve



J. A. BOLAND July 6, 193 7.

VALVE Filed Deo. ll, 1956 INVENTOR.

la; ATTORNEY@ Patented July 6, 1937 i Unirse STATES PATENTFHCE VALVE Jerome A. Boland, Belle Vernon, Pa.

Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,340 Y 6 Claims.

This invention relates to valves, and more particularly toV tliosein which wire' drawing wears the valve members and seats and causes them to leak. When a double valve is used, that is,'one

5 in which two valve members are movable simultaneously in opposite directions to open or close the valve, the eliect of wire drawing on each valve member and seat may be less than when aV single valve member is used, but it is still present and lA eventually the valve will leak.

v It is among the objects of this invention to provide a valve which is substantially le'akproof and the operationof which is simple and dependable."

The preferred embodiment of the invention is l` illustrated in the accompanying drawing in' which Fig. 1 is a view of the outlet end of my valve, andi Fig.- v2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.V

'In accordance with this invention a valve casing havingv inlet and outlet ports is provided with a pair of valve members for opening and closing those ports; These valve members are actuated preferablyby fluid pressure and in such a Way that the inletvalve memberis closed before and opened after the outlet valve member. As a result, fluid is notflowing through the Valve casing at Vthe time the outlet valve member is opened or closed,rand therefore wire drawing is confined to the inlet valve member. Even though the inlet 36 valve member may eventually leak because of this, the non-leaking outlet valvemember prevents anyvuid from escaping `from the casing. Referringto the drawing, a substantially eggshaped valve'casing l is provided at its ends with axially aligned inlet'and'outlet ports 2 .and 3 from the wall thereof by integral webs are a f pair-of cylinders 6 and 'l having a common inner 40 end wall 8. Each cylinder is in axial alignment with the adjacent casing port which it faces.

Slidably mounted on inlet cylinder 6 is a domeshaped shell forming aV valve member 9 for closing the inlet port. The'valve member is moved into closing position by a piston Il disposed in the cylinder and rigidly connected to the outer end of the shell by a rod l2.

The outlet port in the casing is likewise closed by a domeeshaped shell or valve member i3 the inner end of which is slidably mounted on cylinder 1. This valve member is connected to a piston i4 within the cylinder by a rod lli which is slidable in a packing gland Il in a head i8 secured to the outer end ofthe cylinder. A chamber i9 is thus formed between the headand piston I4, such achamber-being lacking in the other cylinder.

It is a feature of this invention that in spite of the injury generally donea kvalve by wirev drawing, this yvalve is substantially leakproof. Y To obtain'this desirable result the valve is construct- 5 j ed insuch a mannerV that the inletport is always closed before theoutlet port and is opened after it so that there is no flow of'liuid through the valve while the outlet port is being opened or closed. Consequently, valve member I3, that l0A controls the outlet port isnot subjected to wire drawing all of ,whichv is confined to valve member 9 and its seat at the inlet port. It Vwill thusr A. beV seen that even though this eventually clauses the inlet valve member to leak, the -pres'sure'of 1'5-` the fiuidithat leaks past it into the casing is. not enough to have a deleterious effect on the outlet valve member as it is opened or closed. `Furthermore, the latter prevents any liuid that has leaked into the .casing from escaping through thevoutlet port. j s

l,In accordance with this invention this desirable result ispreferably, thoughnot necessarily, obtained in the following manner. Mounted on the valvecasing is a housing 2D forming a p-res- .5 l

sure chamber 2| connected to the high pressure end of the valve by a conduit 22 and a radial passage v23 inthe wall of theinlet port. Pressure chamberl is connected to theV inner endsjof cylinders-6 and v'l by a pair of conduits 24 and 25, respectively, so that fluid pressure from the main line is usedto forcethe two pistons and associated valve members outwardly to close the inlet and outletv ports. Outward pressure on the inlet valve member is normally greater becauseY the 351 area of the inner face of piston ii is larger than that of its outer face which is in communication withr fluid in the valve by an aperture 2G in shell 9. Likewise, thediameter of the piston is greater than the diameter of the inlet port. Chamber 2l 40 is connected tolchamb'er I@ in the outer end of cylinderY 'lY by a conduit 21, butas theeiective area of the inner face of piston i4 is greater than that of the outer face of the piston, dueto rod` it, fluid pressure in housing 20 normally holds the 45 piston and valve member ISYin their outer positions. If desired, outward or closing movement of the outletrvalve member can be hastened by a coil spring 28 encircling rod l5 where it is compressed between the packing gland and the outer 50 end of the valve member. Y

To control flow of fluid to and from cylinders B'and l, theends ofconduits 24 and 25 in the housing are turned' downwardly as shown and pro-V vided with seats, While slidably mounted in a par- 55v tition 29 in the housing is a pair of tubes 3| and 32 the lower ends of which are curved upwardly directly beneath the conduit seats. These tubes are normally held in their lower positions, in which they are spaced from the ends of the conduits, by plungers 33 and 34 slidably mounted in the top of the housing where they are held down by a lever 33 loosely connected thereto by pin and slot connections. The lower ends of the plungers are provided with seats for receiving the upper ends of the tubes so that the plungers also serve as closure members that prevent the uid in the housing from escaping through the tubes when in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the lever is lifted the fluid pressure in the housing, aided by coil springs 31 if desired, raises the tubes until their lower ends seat in the open ends of conduits 24 and 25. lever lifts the plungers off the top of the tubes so that-some of the fluid in the inner ends of the valve cylinders can escape through the conduits and tubes into the upper part of the housing from which it escapes through a vent 38. This escape of fluid occurs when lever 36 is raised and fluid pressure in the inner ends of the cylinders is thereby reduced to atmospheric, because the then higher pressure on the end of the inlet valve member forces it inwardly, and the higher pressure in chamber I9 in the outer end of cylinder forces piston I4 inwardly which withdraws valve member I3 from the outlet port. V

However, the opening and closing of the valve members does not occur simultaneously, because the end of lever 3B nearest the inlet end of the casing is pivoted to a bracket 39 mounted on housing 2t, so that as the free end of the lever is slowly lifted tube 32 is connected to conduit 25 leading to the outlet Valve cylinder, and plunger 34 is removed from the upper end of that tube, shortly before plunger 33 is raised from tube 3|. As a result, the inner end of the outlet valve cylinder is connected with the atmosphere before the inlet valve cylinder is thus connected, so that the outlet port has already been opened to some extent before the inlet port starts to open, whereby the deleterious effect of wire drawing is conned to the inlet Valve member and its seat.

When it is desired to close the valve the lever is slowly depressed. Plunger 33 engages and closes the upper end of tube 3| and forces this tube downwardly and out of engagement with conduit 24 before plunger 34 does likewise with tube 32. Consequently, the inner end of cylinder 6 is connected with the fluid under pressure in housing 2l] before the inner end of cylinder is connected with that uid. The inlet valve member is therefore forced outwardly to closing position before the outlet valve member starts to move, and again the latter is not subjected to wire drawing.

As the outlet valve member and its seat are not worn and caused to leak by wire drawing, it follows that even though the inlet valve member may leak there will be no leakage through the outlet port.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the construction and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, Within the Scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described. i

Continued upward movement of the I claim:

1. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a valve member associated with each port, means for closing each of the valve members by fluid pressure, means for releasing said pressure from the outlet valve member before the inlet valve member, and means for connecting the inlet valve member with said iluid pressure before connecting the outlet valve member with the pressure whereby the inlet valve member opens after and closes before the outlet valve member.

2. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a pair of cylinders mounted in the casing one in axial alignment with each port, a piston and piston rod disposed in each cylinder, a valve member mounted on the outer end of each piston rod for closing the adjoining port, conduits for supplying iluid under pressure to said cylinders to actuate said valve members, and means for connecting said conduits with the atmosphere, the conduit leading to the cylinder for the inlet valve member being connected to the atmosphere before the conduit leading to the other cylinder.

3. A valve comprising a casing having aligned inlet and outlet ports, a pair of cylinders mounted in the center of the casing with a partition between them, said cylinders being aligned with said ports, a piston and piston rod disposed in each cylinder, a valve member mounted on the outer end of each piston rod for closing the adjoining port, a housing connected with a source of iluid under pressure, conduits connecting said housing with the inner ends of said cylinders whereby normally said pressure fluid maintains said valve members in closed position, means for venting the inner ends of said cylinders to the atmosphere to reduce the pressure therein, and means for opening said outlet valve member when said pressure is reduced in the inner end of its cylinder.

4. A valve comprising a casing having axially aligned inlet and outlet ports, a pair of cylinders mounted in the center of the casing with a wall between them, said cylinders being in axial alignment with said ports, a piston and piston rod disposed in each cylinder, a valve member mounted on the outer end of each piston rod for closing the adjoining port, a housing associated with said casing and provided with a chamber communicating with the high pressure end of the valve, a pair of conduits connecting said chamber with the inner ends of said cylinders whereby iluid from said high pressure end of the valve normally maintains said valve members in closed position, a pair of tubes slidably mounted in a wall of said housing and adapted to connect said conduits with the atmosphere, closure means for the outer ends of said tubes, said closure means also serving to hold the tubes away from the conduits, means for removing the closure members from the tubes whereby said pressure fluid moves the tubes into communication with the conduits, a head in the outer end of the outlet valve members cylinder forming a chamber in the outer end of that cylinder, and a conduit connecting said two chambers together to cause the outlet member to open when pressure in the inner end of the cylinder is reduced.

5. A valve comprising a casing having axially aligned inlet and outlet ports, a pair of cylinders mounted in the center of the casing with a wall between them, said cylinders being in axial alignment with said ports, a piston and piston rod disposed in each cylinder, a valve member mounted on the outer end of each piston rod for closing the adjoining port, a housing associated with said casing and provided with a chamber communicating with the high pressure end of the valve, a pair of conduits connecting said chamber with the inner ends of said cylinders whereby fluid from said high pressure end of the valve normally maintains said valve members in closed position, a pair of tubes slidably mounted in a wall of said housing with their inner ends Vadapted to connect with the outer ends of said conduits to connect the latter with the atmosphere, closure means for the outer ends of said tubes, a lever loosely connected to said closure members for holding them against the tubes and for forcing the inner ends of the tubes inwardly away from the end of said conduits, means for pivoting to said housing the end of said lever adjacent the conduit leading to the inlet valve member cylinder whereby when said lever is swung outwardly said conduit isV connected to the atmosphere after the other conduit and is closed before the latter when the lever is swung back.

6. A valve comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a cylinder mounted in the casing in `axial alignment with one of said ports, a piston and piston roddisposed in said cylinder, a valve member mounted on the outer end of the piston rod for closing the adjoining port, a housing associated with said casing and provided with a chamber communicating with the high pressure end of the valve, a conduit connecting said chamber with the inner end of said cylinder whereby fluid from said high pressure end of the valve normally maintains said valve member in closed position, a tube slidably mounted in a wall of said housing and adapted to connect said conduit with the atmosphere, closure means for the outer end of said tube,said closure means also serving to hold the tube away from the conduit, means for removing the closure member from the tube whereby said pressure fluid-moves the tube into communication with the conduitya head in the outer end of said cylinder forming a chamber in the outer end thereof, and a conduit connecting said two chambers together toV cause said valve member to open when pressure in the inner end of the cylinder is reduced.

JEROME A; BOLAND. 

